File-box.



C. W. ALLISON.

FILE Box. APPLICATIOII FILED AUG-28. I916- Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- Mai/ra C. W. ALLISON.

FILE BOX. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23. 1916.

1,257,299. Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C. W. ALLISON.

FILE BOX- I APPLICATION FILED AUGJK. me.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lllll ally}, E III mann n lilliill uuuu||| UNITED STATES CLAUDE W. ALLISON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FILE-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,187.

To allwlwm it may concern.

Be 1t known that I, CLAUDE W. ALLISON, a

pears when unfolded, the contents of the box being removed to show the bottom wall citizen of the United States of America, .a thereof.

resident of the city of St. Louis, State of\ Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming'a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in file boxes, one of the objects being to provide a file box having movable partitions which divide the box into a number of compartments and positively prevent the letters .or other material from slipping from one compartment to the other. These partitions are preferably made of stiff. material so as to reinforce the thin sheets of material in the file box. They are free to swing toward and away from each other to expose the matter in the box, and owing to the manner in which the partitions are fitted to thebottom of the box, the lower portions of the sheets cannot slide under the partitions.

Another object is to produce a strong and simple file box adapted to be opened to clearly expose the matter filed therein, and adapted to be placed in a closed or folded condition wherein it occupies a comparatively small space.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred embodi-' ment of the invention; however, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Figure I is an end elevation of a file box constructed in accordance with the invention, one corner of the box being broken away.

Fig. II is a view similar to Fig. I, showing the box' as it appears in its unfolded condition.

Fig. III is a vertical section showing the box and partition members as they appear when the structure is unfolded.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary section taken approximately on theline IVIV, Fig. III.

Fig, V is a plan new of a box as t ap- Fig. VI is an inverted plan View, on a reduced scale, showing the movable brace, or leg, pivoted to the base.

Fig. VII is a detail view of three different sheets, showing them arranged in different planes to expose their upper edges.

hen arranged in the file box, the lower edges of these sheets engage the horizontal bottom of the box.

In the structure I have shown to illustrate the invention, the base comprises a rectangular member 1, provided with upturned marglnal flanges 2, and a rectangular bottom wall member 3 having downturned marginal flanges 4 which lie within the member 1, as shown most clearly in Figs. III and IV.

Side walls 5, hinged to the base at 6 (Figs. I, II and III) are provided with lateral wings 7 which coiiperate with each other to form end Wall members. The wings 7 of each side wall, overlap and lie adjacent to the wings of the other side wall. 8 designates a closure (Fig. I) having a downturned marginal flange which surrounds the, upper portions of the walls 5 and 7 to retain the box in its folded condition. Latch devices 9, carried by wings 7, are adapted to engage lugs 10 on the closure so as to lock said closure on the box. When the parts are locked in this manner the box may be lifted and carried by the handle 11 (Fig. I) on the top of the closure.

End members 12, 13 and 14, extending upwardly from each end of the base, cooperate with the wings 7 to form the end walls of the box. Each wing 7 lies between two of these end members, the end member 13 being interposed between two of said wings, as shown most clearly in Fig. IV. Bolts 15, extending through the end members 12, 13

and 14, serve as stops for limiting the move- I a very desirable manner, and it may be readily folded and locked by the closure 8 and latch devices 9.

17 designates a brace, in the form of a double leg, pivoted to the base at 18 and adapted to occupy an operative position, shown by full lines in Figs. 11, III and VI, also adapted to occupy an inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. I and VI. 19 and 20 designate spring latches or detents adapted to hold the brace 17 in either of the positions shown in FigVI. When the box is folded, the brace 17 lies entirely below the base, and when the box is unfolded said brace may be readily turned to the position shown in Fig. II wherein it will prevent the unfolded structure from tilting.

A designates partitions (Figs. III and VII) arranged between the oppositely disposed side walls 5 and fitted to the bottom wall 3. These partitions divide the box into a number of compartments and they are preferably made of sheet metal or other suitable material, so as toremforce the thin sheets of material in the box, one of the objects being to retain the letters or other sheet material in a flat condition when the structure is unfolded. The partitions A also prevent the lower portions of the sheets from creeping along the bottom of the box and escaping from one compartment to another. The bottom 3 is provided with rows of openings 21 for the reception of tongues 22 which extend downwardly from the lower edges of partitions A. By securing the partitions in this manner they will be revented from slipping along the bottom 0 the box, and a hinge-like support will be formed at the lower edges of said partitions. The partitions are, therefore, free to swing toward and away from each other, also toward and away from the side walls 5, and the tongues 22 prevent the sheets from sliding under the partitions.

I claim 1. A file box having side and bottom walls, hinges supporting said side walls, said hinges being located near the lower edges of said side walls so as to allow said side walls to swing toward and away from each other, partitions extending upwardly from said bottom wall at oints between said side walls, and means or securing the lower portions of said partitions to prevent them from sliding along said bottom wall, said partitions being otherwise free to move toward and away from each other and toward and away from said side walls.

2. A file box having side and bottom walls, hinges supporting said side walls, said hinges being located near the lower edges of said side walls so as to allows-aid side walls to swing toward and away from each other, partitions extending upwardly from said bottom wall at points between said side walls, said bottom wall being provided with openings and said partitions having extended tongues which project through said openings and cooperate with said bottom wall to provide hinge-like supports for the partitions, thereby allowing the partitions to swing toward and away from each other and toward and away from said side walls.

3. A file box having a base, Wall members one of which is movable away from the other to expose the contents of the box, and a brace adapted to cooperate with said base in supporting the same, said brace being movably secured to the box so that it may be readily shifted to its operative position when the wall members are positioned to expose the contents of the box.

4. A file box having a base, wall members one of which is movable away from the other to expose the contents of the box, and

a brace adapted to cooperate with said base in supporting the same, said brace being in the form of a leg pivoted to said base so that it may be readily turned to an inoperative position wherein it lies under the base and to an operative position wherein it extends from the base.

5. A file box having a base, wall members one of which is movable away from the other to expose the contents of the box, and a brace adapted to cooperate with said base in supporting the same, said brace being in the form of a leg pivoted to said base so that it may be readily turned to an inoperative position wherein it lies under the base and to an operative position wherein it extends from the base, and means for securing said brace in its operative and inoperative positions.

1 CLAUDE W. ALLISON. 

